So, what mods have you done to your Fun Finder? - Page 2

webslave · 11-12-2010, 03:40 PM

Bob,

For an aftermarket couch you'll have to stay with a jacknife style...the base that your current couch sits on also carries the two tracks for the slide mechanism. You won't be able to do anything about the "box" that your current jacknife sofa sits on. Just a "heads up"

Skip the slide topper unless you just want one for the "cool factor". The slides on the 210WBS are not deep enough to warrant one and as mentioned above, tend to be more trouble than they are worth on a shallow slide like the 210WBS has.

If you are referring to the 7 pin connector cable (the only one that I can think of that would drag the ground - CruiserRV does install a long one from the factory) they are "standard issue" and any good RV shop or trailer specialty store should have them. On my 210WBS (200

it is routed up into the pass-through compartment and makes the connections in the battery disconnect box. Cramped quarters to work on it, but, definitely a DIY project.

bobandmuriel · 11-15-2010, 10:44 AM

Thank you Flugelboneman & Webslave:
Yes, I am talking about the 7 pin cable that runs from the Funfinder and plugs in beside the hitch. When you say the battery disconnect box...is there a junction box behind the pull out disconnect lever near the door & close to the flooor? Is it accessible from under the trailer, or from inside the cabinet or ??
We'll look at the couch, but the $1,000 may be a bit rich for us....having said that, the fold out in the Funfinder is not comfortable and we do want to do something to make that space more user friendly. I suppose it needs to "jackknife" to get it through the door.

Thanks again, Bob

webslave · 11-16-2010, 09:38 AM

On my 2008 210WBS, the battery disconnect and 7 pin cable connections are on the floor in the pass through compartment. If your disconnect is inside the TT, in a cabinet, the wiring harness may still be in the pass through area. Mine is a black plastic box with flange screwed to the floor with the 7 pin cable connections inside and the battery cut off next to it. If they moved the cutoff to another location, good for them! I had to make a "shield" to go around the cut off switch to keep from having the stuff in my pass through accidentally slide into the switch; disconnecting the battery.

Look under your TT to see where the 7 pin cable enters the TT...the box should be at that entry point since most TT manufacturers use "standard, off the shelf" 7 pin cable assemblies and length would determine where the splice-in area would be. Along with the end of the 7 pin cable, you should see the wiring for your tail lights entering that same hole...usually the tail light wiring is run along the the frame , street side, from the back up to the splice box.

If you can't find it, there are other "options". You could get a replacement cable and cut your current damaged one off past the damaged area and splice the new one onto the old one. Another option would be, depending on where the damaged area is and how long the cable length is, you could cut the old cable at the damaged area and just add a new 7 pin connector; available at most auto supply houses.

fischnet · 10-17-2011, 03:13 PM

This is a great set of ideas, some of which we already arrived at, some great solutions to several things we've already determined we 'need to do something about'! THX to all for that!

Grill question. I've seen comments that others have had the same problem with the stupid mounting strip the idiots at Cruiser installed to hold a 10lb+ grill on the side of the FF! I took my grill off the mount on our first outing last month when I could see that after several hours of just hanging there, the outside (front) of the grill had dropped by about 1 inch and the mounting strip was obviously beginning to pull from the side of the trailer! I checked the screws and the two middle ones just spun, obviously essentially stripped their hold in the trailer siding. Great Job Installers!

You have to wonder if anyone has had the grill come off while vigorously working on their burgers or steaks! Our immediate thought was Cruiser liability and "lookout, injury claims"!

Realizing that the bozos had likely just used the "standard" self tapping screws and a driver with no torque control, I decided this was not the way to use the grill and got to looking to see if there was a better way to mount it. I think it is possible to have 2 small brackets welded or perhaps just screwed (screws are, after all, the installation method of choice by Cruiser for EVERYTHING apparently) - bolted onto the I frame just below/behind the lower side cowling. A removable bracket could then be installed between the frame and grill frame that would support closer to 2/3 of the grill weight.

I then wondered if, in addition, there was room in the space behind the outer skin and the inside wall to install some short expansion molly bolts. Anyone consider or look into that?

I know the final option is to us our collapsible Cabela's camp table to set the grill on as I did. That worked well, but then limits what I can do with that table when grilling.

I have several ideas l will be pursuing to improve. This a great sharing place for that.

flugelboneman · 10-17-2011, 04:48 PM

I regret to inform that we are no longer FF owners. We have moved up to a 2304s Rockwood Ultralite. We enjoyed the FF while we had it, but needed a bit more room in the biffy, and walkaround queen and an oven. Have all of these and more in the Rockwood. I would still recommend FF.

M&M · 10-17-2011, 09:37 PM

Here are some of the modifications we made:
1. Built a wooden cover for the stove burners.
2. Added a battery clock and made mountings so it wouldn't fall off the wall when the camper is in motion.
3. Added shelves to kitchen cupboards.
4. Prior to modification, the compartment under the bed was accessible only by lifting up the mattress and hinged door. The front of the compartment was cut out. We installed large plastic organizers that slide out the front. The trap door now accesses a shallow flat storage area for miscellaneous items such as electrical chords and now has a prop to keep it open.
5. Removed the hard surround under the couch and installed skirting much like would be found on a davenport. Table legs now slide underneath, the slide out can't bind on junk that falls in there, and the area under the couch is now accessible for storage.
6. Moved battery cut off from middle of the storage compartment to the side of compartment. It is also accessible from the inside of the camper from the little trap door next to the bed.
7. Installed toilet paper roller in bathroom.

chupp21 · 10-20-2011, 03:03 PM

Hello,
Here is a list of what I have done to our 189FBR
1: Made a small bed rail for the overhead bunk so my son does not fall out
2: Installed a couple aluminum panels over the cabinet doors on the bunk. It's a bit hard to explain, but when the bunk is folded down and you try to lay down, you fall through the cabinet doors.
3: Installed a pump and fitting to allow pumping water into the fresh water tank from a portable container
4: replaced the sky light with a vent in the bathroom.
5: Fabricated and installed a rear hitch to hold a bike rack. This area sees a lot of load when towing so it must be sturdy
6: Replaced all the interior lights with LED's
7: Installed a plastic strip to the shower curtain on the toilet side to keep it against the wall. We had a lot of water getting out behind the toilet.

fourfourto · 10-20-2011, 03:31 PM

Made a small bed rail for the overhead bunk so my son does not fall out

Ha Ha my 11 year old niece complained about that when we brang her camping

Installed a couple aluminum panels over the cabinet doors on the bunk. It's a bit hard to explain, but when the bunk is folded down and you try to lay down, you fall through the cabinet doors.

my 2007 189fbs came with a piece of paneling type wood and its velcroed down
I normally use up there for clothes storage ,now we bring the cat and let her go up ther to get away from the dog and have her food there, the dog will eat all her food up.

bobandmuriel · 10-21-2011, 08:50 AM

Webslave & others.
I don't mean to bugger up the post, so I'll make this quick. We love the 2010 210WBS FF, but we need a bigger trailer and have just started looking into the alternatives, maybe even a 5th wheel. This was our first trailer, and has been a great experience! (except for the BBQ bracket). Any advise will be appreciated..my E-Mail is cma@harbornet.com if you would prefer to send a note there.
We've invested in a 2011 Dodge hemi for the pull vehicle.

bobandmuriel · 11-01-2011, 05:13 AM

Berryla:
Have a great day.
What kind of trailer do you have? What do you pull it with?

Proudcanuck75 · 01-21-2012, 10:16 AM

I've done a few simple mods to my 2010 210WBS
1) Toilet paper roll holder
2) Added shelves to the wardrobe next to the bed

3) Carpet covers for the outside steps to make life easier for my older three-legged dog

I do NOT use the bracket for holding the BBQ. Seemed like a pile of junk held on with three piddly screws so I have always used a folding table. However, I found, with the short quick connect hose provided, that the BBQ was either under the awning or else in front of the outside storage compartment and ALWAYS in the way. I tried to figure out a longer hose, which was going to cost upwards of $100. Instead, I replaced the pretty cheap BBQ that came with the trailer with a Weber and use a portable tank. Now I can have it away from the trailer. The quick connect was handy and it is a pain carrying an extra propane tank around but I always did anyway to have it for my Coleman stove (I do all my cooking outdoors). Now I just need to find a T connection so I can have the stove and the BBQ connected at the same time and not always have to switch them over.[/img]

jeepcruiser · 05-19-2012, 05:31 PM

Our Shadow cruiser 195wbs only had 1 small drawer under the kitchen sink, so I made another drawer inside the cuboard underneath that drawer.That cuboard was plenty big so made a utensil drawer.

Also underneat the bed I made a big drawer, so we have easy acces to that storage now.Lifting up that bed was a pain in the butt. So now i can store the coffee maker, dvd player , small tv etc. in that drawer, and the space next to it we still need to lift the bed and we can store extra blankets in there or stuff we dont need as much.

Experienced campers · 05-19-2012, 06:02 PM

I ordered my 189FDS new with electric tongue jack and stabilizers. I also ordered a new drawer with slide hardware. I would have preferred that the factory installed the drawer where I specified but they would not. I have placed this under the bed. since the factory built the drawer it looks original.
I love to tinker so expect to see more of my posts.

fischnet · 05-20-2012, 10:19 AM

Well, in a previous post here I noted issues on our 2012 214 WSD with the grill mount and poor installation of the hanger strip on the outside of the FF. I had the dealer reinstall that (warranty) and they reattached with moly bolts. It is on firm now but I cobbled together a steel bracket attached to the frame, below and in line with the grill, and made two support 'rods'. Now when I install the grill, it rests on the hanger strip and then the two rods are slipped into slots on the frame bracket and then the front tubular grill frame rests on the rods. So the outmost weight of the grill, about half the full weight, is now transferred down to the frame and off the wall hanger strip. Seems very solid and firm now.

Have any of you had issues with the deep pantry cupboards? Ours are about 30" deep and to get to things in the back you have to unload the stuff in the front! Pain!

So I had dealer order two doors to match interior, a 12"x12" like those above the entertainment cab and one of the 12"x24" doors like those in the bathroom cabinets. I have cut holes in the upper back side of the pantry so that when the slide is out, we can access the back half of the upper and middle shelves from the side. Hope to have the doors on shortly.

For the bottom shelf on the pantry, I have, like some others I've seen, built a drawer that will pull all the way out of the cabinet. Drawer done, not yet installed.

Have also built drawers (not yet installed) that will fit under the dinette seats. They do this on some models, do it on all the View Finders. However, in looking at the drawers available, they are all "standard issue" and not made to the full size of the available space under the seat, in width or depth. So opted to make my own with minimal wasted space.

I have the dealer parts guy looking for the door on the outside of the slider like the one pictured on the top banner of the owners club page. He has had no luck as of this time. I want to install one like this to access under the middle / back seat of the dinette from outside. Anyone know who / where to get one? What model trailer is that pictured? Cruiser just tells me I have to go through my dealer! Help!

We also wanted an AC outlet on the dinette side on wall of pantry .. under the clock. So I installed an outlet with shallow box on that wall about 12" in from front. Just tapped into the bathroom wall socket and ran the romex down to the water heater compartment under the pantry. Looks like factory did it only better!

I've also swapped out most of the interior bulbs for 36 LED arrays so when we're boondock'n I don't have to run the Gen so much to keep the batteries up. Amazing the variety out there on ebay for all things LED!!

**LJAZ** · 05-20-2012, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fischnet

I have the dealer parts guy looking for the door on the outside of the slider like the one pictured on the top banner of the owners club page. He has had no luck as of this time. I want to install one like this to access under the middle / back seat of the dinette from outside. Anyone know who / where to get one? What model trailer is that pictured? Cruiser just tells me I have to go through my dealer! Help!

No idea where to get that door but that appears to be a 210WBS. Heater is in an odd place though. At any rate the 210WBS does have that door panel in the slider. It's where I stash my shore power cord, plug adapters, water hose & outside shower hose.

jbfunfinder · 05-20-2012, 12:58 PM

Hey Fischnet-
I am nearly certain the FF pictured on the "owners club" page is a 2010 or earlier 189FBS back when they had the shallow, non-flush floor slide. This model has a radius door hatch in the slide. See the 2010 floorplan on Cruiser website at the following link: http://www.cruiserrv.com/fun-finder-...fications.html
Replacement doors can be found on any one of several manufacturers' websites like this one:
http://www.pellandent.com/RV_Product...?CategoryID=97

fischnet · 05-21-2012, 12:10 PM

THX LJAZ and jb ... You'd think that the dealer would be able to quickly find out about that door, wouldn't you? I thought that the one pictured looked more like a mid 2000's 189, but could find no clear pics or info on that compartment door. Other than the obvious cost, I don't understand why Cruiser doesn't just put that door on these!? It is such a huge convenience factor!

jb, appreciate the source on doors .. I'll have to pursue that angle. Even if I buy the door myself, I'll have the dealer install as I'm new to any Filon products and really don't want to have the darn stuff crack or split the bonding between it and the luan; plus, I don't know what is inside the wall a t that point. Not the dealer knows either, but .... hopefully they do havwe a better handle on it than me!

caico · 06-15-2012, 09:15 AM

For those who install a door on that hole near the sofa,
What size did you chose for the door?

Eagle · 06-16-2012, 02:30 PM

Installed a TP holder = really a necessity.

Added Captains rail trim above the cabinet over the sink, microwave and bath medicine cabinet for a more classy look.

Got rid of the factory short queen mattress and replaced it with a full size, quality queen Beautyrest mattress for a decent nights sleep.

fischnet · 06-19-2012, 09:39 PM

Well, I'm moving along on that door I inquired about here. my dealer parts mngr got a structural drawing from Cruiser for me and I am going to get with him to decide what door we can order for it. Looks like I can get a 9" x 34" or so in there.

Also have added 2 doors and a full depth drawer in the pantry cabinet just outside the bathroom door. That cabinet is 30" deep and you had to take everything out to reach stuff in the back which was cumbersome to pack properly anyway. So ordered 2 doors from Cruiser to match the cabinetry, cut holes (yikes

) in the wall facing the slider/dinette that accessed the top and middle shelves (11"x12" & 11"x24"), added/firmed up framing inside the wall around the door openings and added the doors. Looks like it came from the factory! Clock still on wall, but moved to left to center between doors and outside edge of pantry. Now we can put some wire shelving in the back 1/2 of the shelves and access stuff from the side (when the slider is out)! Built a drawer into the bottom shelf in the pantry that slides completely out when the main door is opened so you can get to everything in that from standing to the side and in front of the stove/fridge facing the bathroom door!

I'm now just about done adding drawers under the dinette seats. They are fully 18" wide X 39" deep and almost full height of seat 'box'. Will make for much better use of space and ease of access!

Oh, while in the pantry, I accessed the AC wiring at the bathroom vanity receptacle and ran a line to the wall below those cabinets for an added receptacle. I see the new trailers have an AC receptacle now on the side of the dinette seat under the table.

Anyone know if that little space above the fridge (panel about 5-6" high just under the ceiling) has anything in it? Wondered about opening it & adding door for storage of some light-weight thin items.